


Friends and Neighbors

by Raaj



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-01 04:44:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raaj/pseuds/Raaj
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even before Marlene was born, Barret knew he'd do anything he could for Dyne's family.  After all, they'd always helped his.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friends and Neighbors

Nearly every day Barret and Dyne came out of the coal mines, sweaty and darkened by soot, Eleanor had a light refreshment set up for them. This day was marked by sweet tea, the cups brought out even as Dyne sank down tiredly on his porch and rolled his shoulders, trying to get out the kinks. Barret couldn’t drink fast enough, emptying his glass in a matter of seconds. Eleanor shook her head, her dark brown ringlets waving through the air, but she was used enough to the habits of her husband’s best friend that she simply refilled the glass from the pitcher. “Now pace yourself this time,” she told him. Barret laughed; the admonishment was a familiar one.  
  
Dyne knew it too, turning his head over his shoulder toward the two of them. “Pace himself? I doubt Barret’s got a first clue how.” He quickly ducked as Barret took a joking swing at him.  
  
“Ahh, shut up!”  
  
“Oh, before I forget,” Eleanor said, distracting Barret from Dyne chuckling into his sweet tea. She was holding a brown paper bag over her swelling stomach, and the bag itself was swelling with what, from the smell of it, had to be her chili. That smell would make any stomach rumble, though Barret gamely tried to ignore his as she pressed the bag toward him and the smell of fresh cornbread started rising up as well. “Careful, there’s a dish in there. I know Myrna’s been feeling a bit worse lately. You tell her to focus on resting, all right?”  
  
He rested it on the porch for the moment, mindful out of gratitude and slightly incredulous. “Don’t you gotta be resting too? That bump’s just getting bigger all the time.” It was true though, Myrna had been having a bad week; she’d been laid up with her migraines for better parts of the days. But with Eleanor’s pregnancy it had to be tiring for her too, going out of her way like this.  
  
“Dale’s well behaved,” she said, putting a hand on her stomach.  
  
“Marlene,” Dyne countered, though he was swallowing down a grin. Eleanor shot him a look, her blue eyes narrowing in mock anger.  
  
“ _Dale_ ,” she said. “I’m the one carrying this child Dyne, all the signs say boy. Anyhow, it really wasn’t much work, I just made extra.” She smiled at Barret. “Besides, you and Myrna have always helped us out when we needed it.”  
  
“And we’ll keep on that way,” he said with a nod. “For the little one too.”  
  
Eleanor’s cheeks dimpled. “And I’m sure I’ll appreciate that when it’s time.”


End file.
